"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." -Harriet Tubman

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Father's Day Give~A~Way

~ .My Dad. ~

My dadLOVED it when I would tell him stories that included me saying..."My dad."He would say, "do you know how much that means to me to know that I am your dad?"

I just want you to know how very much it meant to me that I was your daughter.

Gerald Vincent Fender

September 21st, 1929 - February 29th, 2000

My dad passed away February 29th, 2000.

It was leap day.

Goes to show you what a great sense of humor my dad had.

My dad was a pretty cool cat.

Born to hang out with the likes of

Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis JR.

My dad was my biggest fan and he told me that I was the
"apple of his eye."

I think it showed.

My dad constantly told me how much he loved me.

I remember when I first told him I was moving to Montana to live in a tee-pee,

he said, "how are we going to communicate, through smoke signals?"

Nope, no smoke signals, but my dad sent me lots and lots of letters that I still have and treasure.

My dad was a good listener.

And my dad could take any problem I had

and put a positive twist on it.

My dad was a painter, a poet, a song writer, a photographer, a philosopher

and

The world's GREATEST salesman.

Even though they did not have a fairy tale life together

one thing was for sure,

My dad loved my mom very much.

If there were visiting hours in heaven, my dad would be the first person I would ask to see.

I would tell my dad all the things that have happened here on earth in the last 14 years.

And tell my dad about how wonderful his grand children are turning out to be.

If only, I could have the opportunity to talk with my dad about my life today.

If only I could share with my dad my art, my hopes, my dreams.

To let him know that things are good.

To let him know how blessed I feel that he was my dad.

My dad wasn't perfect, but he was MYdad.

I loved my dad very much and miss my dad even more.

Dad, thank you for all your love and all your encouragement.
Thank you for sharing your passion for nature, horses, music, art, books, movies especially -westerns, good conversation, and most important family.

I carry you, I carry, you I carry you in my heart.
I will love you forever with all my heart and all my soul.

Your Adoring Daughter,

~ Traci Suzanne"Sunshine" Fender ~

In honor of my dad, I am giving away one of my giclee' prints.

It is called More than Meets the Eye.

I think my dad would have really liked this one.
Please note that the copyright won't be on the print you receive.

11 comments:

My dad was a teacher, that means you have to share your dad with a lot of kids, but I didn't mind. My dad had a lot of love in his heart not only for me and my brother, but for all his students as well. Daddy knew how to make me feel that I was his special girl!

My father was a man who made me know every day that I was loved, perfectly loved. Having an earthly father who so wonderfully mirrored the attributes of our Heavenly Father is a blessing I can't put into words but will carry in my heart forever! <3

This is so beautiful about your Dad. My Father taught me love for art and painting and drawing and reading and imagining. He taught my brother and I to always imagine and to "enjoy the day". He died in 2001 right after 9/11 which broke his heart as he watched the images on TV. No one knew why he died as the tests were all inconclusive. I think he was another victim of the towers and horror. I miss him every day

I have only one wish in life. I waste time and words wishing this would happen or wishing I was there or wishing I had that. I have only one wish in life...to dance with my father one more time. To look up into my father's face, see his smile, feel my father's embrace, feel his heart beating on my cheek, to hear his voice, to see I'm his daughter again...because I miss him...I miss the dance.

Oh wow. My dad was a gentleman all the way. My kids and I miss him so much. He died in 1988, a few months after he retired. Too soon, but all we learned from him continues on. Memories of his example, quiet pride in our accomplishments, encouragement when we needed it, is so dear to us now. He worked for our local newspaper and was a very good artist in his own right. He wanted to draw cartoons and was quite good at it.Dad would love my new husband and be amazed at our family. Love of reading, kindness, so many things to miss. And walking in the card aisle to buy a Fathers Day card is still hard to this day. Thank you!

Traci.. what an amazing tribute to your dad.. Is that his cessna 180 float plane? My dad has one too. My dad was born on Feb. 13, 1920. He was almost a valentine baby which would have suited him just fine. He had and still has a kind heart. He would give it away if he could just to make someone else happy. He lived a wonderful life. From working as a dental technician in World War II to a practicing dentist for over 60 years. He won my moms heart over, got married and had 3 children. One of which I am the youngest. I worked with my dad in his dental office for 28 years and when he walked out and retired at age 92 I walked out with him hand and hand. He flew a Cessna 180 float plane from the time I was born up until last fall. He quit flying at 94. He is still amazing. He just beat a bout of metastasized prostrate cancer. He is up in Canada now. Where he would fly every summer since I can remember. We would go up there every summer in his little airplane. There were no roads and we had a log cabin in the midst of God's Country. My dad puts all his trust in God. God has blessed him and our family immensely. Even though we are going thru some trying times right now. My dad is my ROCK, my SOUL and my BEST FRIEND. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO MY DAD!!

Dads are wonderful, I'm glad that mine it still around to play with. He's 84 and doing great. As a father myself I know the journey is often a rough one.There truly is no fairy tale life. We all have ups and downs. My father has been there for many of the ups and most of the downs. His love has not wavered nor has mine for him. As a father I too have learned that even when it is hardest to say that you love your kids, you do it anyway. Thanks for creating a spot Traci, for all of us to honor our dads. The greatest man in our lives.

Traci..what a wonderful tribute to your dad...beautiful.My daddy was actually my step dad because my father died when I was 3 months old. So then my daddy came along to take over. He walked me down the aisle and less than a year later he was gone at only 48. I remember the last time I had seen him, he had put a hand on each of my cheeks and told me how special I was to him. A month later he died of a heart attack.He was a quiet gentle, man living a working man's life. He gave me 3 brothers and I was his only 'daughter'.

Although my dad moved ahead over 14 years ago, I have vivid memories of him loving music, movies and books! Sometimes he was reading four or five different kinds of books at once. He loved a good story! He loved biographies because he was fascinated with people and what real people had to say about the different lives they were living. He also loved poetry and nature, plays and actors and actresses, directors and writers. He wrote poetry himself and lyrics to music. He loved quotes that affirmed life and quotes that made you think. It's no wonder I grew up as someone who loves all of these things too. I have too many of my own books to count and am forever seeking quotes to live by and inspire others. I am a stage actress and my theatre work has defined me since I was 16 years old. I write too. Poetry and prose, keeping one and two journals at a time! Thank you dad for inspiring me to follow my bliss and emerge myself in this lifetime with all that I grew up loving. You were bigger than life when you lived here on earth! Like a character out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, you lived each day as your authentic self! I love you and miss you but know you are still a blaze of glory in heaven as you were on earth! I can still feel your light shining brightly and for me your generous and creative spirit lives on in the lives of your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren! I am so grateful for you dad❤️Happy Father's Day 👼🎆

About Me

Oh give me just one day to free my mind,to create to listen, to walk, to quiet my soul,to cool down,to carry on~ My photographs and other artworks are inspired by the wonder, simplicity and quietude of every day life. In every photograph,sketch, painting or textile piece, I hope to capture the spirit, the mood, the song of my subjects. I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. My creative spirit awakened when I moved to Northwest Montana where there was plenty of room to roam with my camera and places to be alone with nature and its inhabitants. All my photographs are professionally printed by acclaimed Bozeman, MT artist/ photographer Rob Outlaw on archival quality fine art paper. My frames are custom built by artist Richard Moore of Wind and Snow Art Gallery in Polson, MT.